Apparatus for regulating the density of cotton fed to cleaning and opening machines in cotton and fibre spinning



Jan. 1, 1963 B. SCHWAB APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE DENSITY OF COTTON FED TO CLEANING AND OPENING MACHINES IN COTTON AND FIBRE SPINNING Filed March 16, 1960 INVENTQ? Bruno fic/zwab United States Patent ()fifice 3,070,847 Patented Jan. I, 1963 APPARATUS FDR REGULATING THE DENSITY F COTTQN FED T0 CLEANING AND OPENING MACHINES IN COTTQN AND FIBRE SPINNING Bruno Schwab, Dulrnen, Westphalia, Germany, assignor to Hergeth KG. Maschinenfabrik u. Apparatebau,

Dulmen, Westphalia, Germany, a firm Filed Mar. 16, 1960, Ser. No. 15,445 Claims. (Cl. 19-204) In order that cotton and like fibre may be supplied in flock form to the feed rolls of opening and cleaning machines, especially of the beater type, at a uniform density, it has been proposed to use high filling shafts and to impart a shaking or jogging movement to the fibrous material. In a filling shaft at least half a metre high the flock is already compacted to a certain extent by its own weight by the time it reaches the bottom of the shaft where it is taken off by a pair of rollers. To prevent hollows forming, or denser or less dense patches of fibre, a shaking movement is imparted preferably by setting the front or back wall of the shaft, or both, in rapid vibration. This reduces the friction of the fibre on the side walls of the shaft, and of the flocks one upon the other, so that all hollow spaces are filled up and a uni formly dense lap of fibre is supplied to the take-up rolls over the whole working width.

There is a defect of such means for obtaining uniform density of flock over the whole working width which renders it impossible to set or maintain any determined degree of compacting. The filling shafts with vibrating devices hitherto known do not make it possible to suit the intensity of shaking to the degree to which the flock has already been compacted. Therefore, the lap becomes further compacted when the shaft is filled or the supply to the beater is temporarily interrupted. Thus, the lap varies in density in the direction of its length, and may in places be so firmly compacted that the feed regulators of the beater no longer operate with precision.

This defect in filling shafts with shaking means is the more striking since in other constructions of filling shaft having slanting walls made up of conveyor rolls or conveyor belts it has been proposed so to adjust the friction between the conveyor means and the fibre that feed of the fibre to the take-off rolls is effective only up to a predetermined density. 4

This notion is not applicable to filling shafts with shaking means because there are no conveyor belts or rollers for compacting. Moreover, experience has shown that this method does not ahcieve lengthwise uniformity of density, because each time the machine is stopped and started the friction varies from static friction to kinetic friction, so the density varies to and fro between two extremes.

The object of the present invention is a method of and means for regulating the degree of compacting of the fibre in a filling shaft equipped with shaking means. Its distinguishing feature is that the intensity of the shaking is made inversely dependent on the density already reached, so that the shaking movement and the density stand in a reciprocal relation. The shaking is diminished as the density increases, and ceases when the desired density is reached; conversely, it begins again so soon as the density falls below an adjustable determined value. In this fashion the fibrous material, already shaken into uniform density across the working width, is also freed of variations in density in the longitudinal direction of travel.

The density of the material at the bottom of the filling shaft acts in opposition to pressure means, for example, a spring, a weight, or the like, by which one or both vibratory side walls of the shaft are pressed against shaking rollers of known kind. All that is needed is so to adjust the spring that the pressure resulting from the predetermined density of fibre suffices to interrupt the action of the shaking roller upon the vibratory wall. When the density falls the counter pressure against the spring falls, and the shaking roller again begins to act on the side wall. It is this continuous counterplay between pressure and counter pressure that ensures constancy of density of the lap in the direction of running.

The pressure spring can be adjusted by hand; for example, by adjusting its abutment by a screw. The position of the abutment is then an indication of the density of the lap, which can be read upon a scale graduated as desired.

In this manner the loose fibre flock supplied in a high filling shaft equipped with shaking means is formed into an even lap of predetermined density which shows no variations of density in the direction of travel.

In the cotton and fibre industry where effort is more and more directed to shortening the process of spinning, it is of extraordinary commercial importance that right at the beginning of the spinning process a lap of fibre should be supplied which does not vary in weight, small length by small length.

Control of the shaking action in relation to a predetermined density of lap may also be effected, for example, by bringing the shaking roller to a standstill as soon as the predetermined density is reached. For that purpose it is convenient to provide a spring-loaded swinging plate at the bottom of the filling shaft, the pressure of the dense fibre acting against the spring. If, for example, the shaking roller is electrically driven the small movement of the swinging plate may operate, say, a mercury switch to complete or break the circuit of the driving motor. density, and the density may be indicated, as described with reference to the first example.

Two examples of construction of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic section through a filling shaft with a shaking motion controlled according to the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic section of another example of the invention.

In both figures, the numeral 1 designates the filling shaft, at least half a metre high into which the fibrous flock 2 is fed in known manner. Below the shaft the fibre, formed into a lap of uniform density, is taken off by rollers 3, 3 and carried away on a conveyor 17 for further treatment, for example, in a beater (not shown).

FIG. 1 shows one side wall 4 of the filling shaft vibrated by a shaking roller 5 of known construction, the Wall 4 and its arm 6 resting upon the shaking roller 5 pivotally supported on the rod 7 with the arm 6. Spring 8 engages the wall 4 and indirectly presses the arm 6 against the roller. The more densely the material 2 in the filling shaft is shaken together the greater will be its pressure against the side wall 4 and spring 8. By means of a hand-wheel 9 on a threaded spindle 10 the abutment plate 11 to which the spring is attached can be adjusted, and with it the pressure of the spring. If the pressure exerted by the dense fibre in the direction of the arrow X is sufficient to overcome the tension of the spring 8, the shaking movement will first diminish in amplitude, and finally will cease when arm 6 no longer touches the shaking roller 5. If this counter-pressure relaxes, the shaking movement begins afresh, first weakly, and then, if the counter-pressure still decreases, with full intensity.

This constant counterplay of fibre pressure and spring pressure makes the density very nearly constant in the direction of travel. Adjustment of the spring pressure by the handle 9 determines the density. An indicator is con- The spring may be set for a predeterminednected with the plate 11 which shows the density on a scale graduated as desired. A pointer 12 on the hand- Xheel 9 makes possible more exact reading on a graduated in FIG. 2 the side wall 4 of the filling shaft 1 is shaken in known manner by the shaking roller 5. An independently pivoted swinging plate 13 that pivots over the pin 18 forms a part of the lower end of the wall 4 and is under pressure from spring 8 compressed between it and the abutment plate 11 which is adjustable by the handwheel 9. The shaking roller has its own driving motor 14. The swinging plate 13 is connected through the arm 15 with the motor switch 16. As soon as the counterpressure due to the density of the fibre in the direction of the arrow X overcomes the pressure of the spring 8, the motor 14- is switched off. It will be understood that wall 4 will be moved only slightly out of its normal position by pressure of the fibrous flock thereon, because the end 13 of the pivoted plate will be moved by the flock against the pressure of the spring 8 to operate the switch 16 and cut off the motor 14F and bring the shaking roller 5 to rest. Therefore, real excess pressure of the fibrous flock acts on the plate 13 to control the shaking of the flock.

The shaking roller 5 may be replaced by any other machine element suitable for the purpose. In place of the electrical drive there can be some form of mechanical drive that is easily put into and out of action.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for regulating the density of cotton and like fibres fed to opening and cleaning machines in cotton and fibre spinning, comprising a filling shaft having a vibrating side wall to condense the fibres, means associated with the side wall to effect vibration thereof and tensioning means associated with the lower end of the vibrating side wall to render the vibrating side wall active until the desired density of the fibres passing through the filling shaft is attained.

2. Apparatus for regulating the density of cotton and like fibres fed to opening and cleaning machines in cotton and fibre spinning, comprising a filling shaft having a vibrating side wall to condense the fibres, means for vibrating the side wall including an arm extending from the side wall and means engaging the arm to effect vibration thereof, and tensioning means associated with the vibrating side wall to control vibration of the side wall and to render the vibrating means active with respect to the vibrating side wall.

3. Apparatus for regulating the density of cotton and like fibres fed to opening and cleaning machines in cotton and fibre spinning, comprising a filling shaft having a vibrating side wall to condense the fibres, an arm extending outwardly and downwardly from the upper end of the vibrating sidewall to form a crotch for the pivotal mounting of the wall, means engageable with the arm to effect the vibration of the side wall and variable tensioning means engageable with the lower end of the side wall automatically controlled by the density of the fibres for controlling vibration of the side wall.

4. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein a separate pivotally mounted wall section is located below the vibrating side wall, electrical means including a switch for controlling operation of the vibrating means and a part of the separate pivotally mounted section of the side wall being movable into engagement with the switch in the presence of increased density in the fibres to render the electrical means inoperative.

5. Apparatus for regulating the density of cotton and like fibres fed to opening and cleaning machines in cotton and fibre spinning, comprising a filling shaft having a vibrating side wall to condense the fibres, means associated with the side wall to effect vibration thereof, a pivotally mounted angular plate at the lower end of the filling shaft in line with the vibrating side wall and having one end thereof contacted by the material passing through the filling shaft, electrical means including a switch for controlling operation of the vibrating means, tensioning means associated with the angular plate with the latter movable by pressure thereon of fibres of sufficiently increased density to create an excess of pressure on the angular plate thereby pivoting said plate with a part of the plate movable into contact with the switch to render the electrical means inoperative.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 953,587 Germany Dec. 6, 1956 

1. APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE DENSITY OF COTTON AND LIKE FIBRES FED TO OPENING AND CLEANING MACHINES IN COTTON AND FIBRE SPINNING, COMPRISING A FILLING SHAFT HAVING A VIBRATING SIDE WALL TO CONDENSE THE FIBERES, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SIDE WALL TO EFFECT VIBRATION THEREOF AND TENSIONING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOWER END OF THE VIBRATING SIDE WALL TO RENDER THE VIBRATING SIDE WALL ACTIVE UNTIL THE DESIRED DENSITY OF THE FIBRES PASSING THROUGH THE FILLING SHAFT IS ATTAINED. 